Google Maps makes it simple to scout a destination before you arrive, particularly with its Street View feature that gives you a quick, ground-level look at almost any address. While this is incredibly useful for spotting a business entrance or checking for street parking, it also means your front door, yard and driveway are likely visible to anyone with an internet connection.
If that makes you uneasy, you're not alone. Having your home so easily accessible online raises real privacy concerns, especially if you'd rather keep your personal space off-limits.
The good news is that Google gives you a way to blur your home on Street View. Here's how to reduce how much of your home is visible online.
For more, check out essential Google Maps tips for travel.
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How to blur your home on Google Maps
You'll need to do this on your computer since the blurring feature isn't available in the Google Maps application on iOS or Android. It is accessible through the web browser on your mobile device, but it's rather difficult to use, so your best option is a trusted web browser on your Mac or PC.
At maps.google.com, enter your home address in the search bar at the top-right, hit return, then click the photo of your home that appears.
Click on the photo of your home, right above your address, on the top-left part of the page.
Next, you'll see the Street View of your location. Click Report a Problem at the bottom-right. The text is super tiny, but it's there.
This is the Street View of your location.
Now, it's up to you to choose what you want Google to blur. Using your mouse, adjust the view of the image so that your home and anything else you want to blur are all contained within the red and black box. Use your cursor to move around and the plus and minus buttons to zoom in and out, respectively.
If you want to blur more than what's in the red and black box, use the plus button to zoom in.
Once you're finished adjusting the image, choose what you're requesting to blur underneath:
- A face
- Your home
- Car/license plate
- A different object
You'll be asked to provide a bit more detail about what you want blurred in case the image is busy with cars, people and other objects.
Also, be completely sure that what you select is exactly what you want blurred. Google cautions that once you blur something on Street View, it's blurred permanently.
Finally, enter your email (this is required), verify the captcha (if needed), and click Submit.
You are required to provide additional information about what you want to blur, so be thorough.
You should then receive an email from Google that says it'll review your report and get back to you once the request is either denied or approved. You may receive more emails from Google asking for more information regarding your request. Google doesn't offer any information on how long your request will take to process, so just keep an eye out for any further emails.
For more, take an inside look at how Google built Immersive View for Maps.